For matching the drive power to different driving requirements, vehicle drive systems have been suggested in which a separate drive is assigned to each vehicle axle or each wheel of the vehicle. EP-A-0 812 720 for example describes a vehicle with a drive system of the aforementioned kind. A generator driven by an internal combustion engine supplies the electric energy for electric motors. The wheels of the front axle of the vehicle are driven by an associated electric motor, while the rear wheels are driven electro-mechanically in that the internal combustion engine drives a drive shaft that is allocated to the rear axle of the vehicle. Each wheel of the rear axle is assigned a summing gear and an electric motor. The summing gear combines the drive power of the drive shaft and the corresponding electric motor and passes it on to the appropriate rear wheel. A change-speed gearbox that can be shifted between at least two transmission ratios is arranged between the internal combustion engine and the two summing gears. When switching the change-speed gearbox, the tractive power to the rear wheels is interrupted. This can lead to a slowing of the vehicle and express itself in an unpleasant manner for the operator in the form of a shifting jolt. It has been found that even when using a change-speed gearbox that can be shifted under load the aforementioned disadvantages cannot be avoided.